Quick answer
Stalemate in Endgames is an endgame technique: king-and-pawn geometry. Work from the first evidence position for Stalemate in Endgames, and begin by testing Kc6.
Begin from Kc6 in 8/8/8/3k4/3P4/8/8/4K3 b - - 1 1. Count the material, king routes, promotion squares and reserve tempi before applying a theoretical rule. The evidence answer is: Stalemate in Endgames: count the king moves, the pawn's promotion square and the reserve tempo before pushing. Candidate line: Kc6.
In the Stalemate in Endgames example, notice: side Black; pieces Black king d5, White pawn d4, White king e1; legal first moves Kc6, Kd6, Ke6, Ke4, Kxd4, Kc4. Those legal moves describe the current example board; they do not define a permanent rule set.
Material and result question
The first evidence board tests king-and-pawn geometry; the second board tests king-and-pawn geometry. A opens with the string direct FEN setup, whereas B opens with direct FEN setup. Background terms live on the Chess Wiki and the Endgames hub. Then compare Material Values with Fortress In Queen Endings, Theoretical Draws In Chess, Wrong Bishop And Rook Pawn around the moment to trade the last pawn.
The two inventories make the distinction concrete. A contains side Black; pieces Black king d5, White pawn d4, White king e1; legal first moves Kc6, Kd6, Ke6, Ke4, Kxd4, Kc4; B contains side Black; pieces Black king e6, White pawn d4, White king f1; legal first moves Kd7, Ke7, Kf7, Kf6, Kf5, Kd5, Kd6. Compare the side to move before comparing the labels in the context of a knight route that changes the blockade.
Topic dossier for this page and board pair r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3k4 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:4K3 / r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:4k3 | r4:8 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:5K2: start with the moment to trade the last pawn; then test a knight route that changes the blockade; keep king opposition on the critical file separate from the king's route around a pawn chain; use the bishop's color complex as the transfer check; and reserve checking distance behind the passer for the exception.
Conversion or defense plan
On the first board, calculate Kc6 after Kc6 and write down the opponent's best reply around the moment to trade the last pawn. On the second board, calculate Kd7 after Kd7 and check a knight route that changes the blockade. Separate the practical conversion question from the result question; side to move and one checking distance can change the conclusion. In this case the useful condition is checking distance behind the passer.
Key claim: Stalemate in Endgames is illustrated here by king-and-pawn geometry; the first concrete test is Kc6. The board anchor is 8/8/8/3k4/3P4/8/8/4K3; the example is intentionally narrower than the topic label and should not be generalised without checking the surrounding position..
Practical boundary: To answer “What exact king, pawn, and move-order conditions decide stalemate in endgames, and how should each side play them?”, compare the recorded setup with Kd7 and the opponent's reply. The decision is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test on board 8/8/4k3/8/3P4/8/8/5K2. The evidence records No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication and the second board signature r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:4k3 | r4:8 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:5K2. The false-positive test is whether king opposition on the critical file appears without the king's route around a pawn chain, so the conclusion is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test.
Evidence positions
example-1: king-and-pawn geometry
Show answer
Stalemate in Endgames: count the king moves, the pawn's promotion square and the reserve tempo before pushing. Candidate line: Kc6.
Why this position is here: Stalemate in Endgames is represented by king-and-pawn geometry. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/8/8/3k4/3P4/8/8/4K3; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 8/8/8/3k4/3P4/8/8/4K3 b - - 1 1
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this stalemate in endgames position?
Answer cue: Stalemate in Endgames: count the king moves, the pawn's promotion square and the reserve tempo before pushing. Candidate line: Kc6. The first candidate to test is Kc6. Replay Kc6 on board anchor 8/8/8/3k4/3P4/8/8/4K3 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
example-2: king-and-pawn geometry
Show answer
Stalemate in Endgames: count the king moves, the pawn's promotion square and the reserve tempo before pushing. Candidate line: Kd7.
Why this position is here: Stalemate in Endgames is represented by king-and-pawn geometry. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/8/4k3/8/3P4/8/8/5K2; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 8/8/4k3/8/3P4/8/8/5K2 b - - 3 2
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this stalemate in endgames position?
Answer cue: Stalemate in Endgames: count the king moves, the pawn's promotion square and the reserve tempo before pushing. Candidate line: Kd7. The first candidate to test is Kd7. Replay Kd7 on board anchor 8/8/4k3/8/3P4/8/8/5K2 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
example-3: king-and-pawn geometry
Show answer
Stalemate in Endgames: count the king moves, the pawn's promotion square and the reserve tempo before pushing. Candidate line: Kc7.
Why this position is here: Stalemate in Endgames is represented by king-and-pawn geometry. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/8/3k4/8/3P4/5K2/8/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 8/8/3k4/8/3P4/5K2/8/8 b - - 3 2
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this stalemate in endgames position?
Answer cue: Stalemate in Endgames: count the king moves, the pawn's promotion square and the reserve tempo before pushing. Candidate line: Kc7. The first candidate to test is Kc7. Replay Kc7 on board anchor 8/8/3k4/8/3P4/5K2/8/8 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
Reading the line
Read the first example (id example-1) as a complete record: continuation Kc6, source tablebase. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/8/8/3k4/3P4/8/8/4K3; no opening history is inferred from the diagram. If A does not expose king-and-pawn geometry, correct the evidence before relying on the prose.
Read the second example (id example-2) separately: continuation Kd7, source tablebase. Its feature is king-and-pawn geometry; inventory side Black; pieces Black king e6, White pawn d4, White king f1; legal first moves Kd7, Ke7, Kf7, Kf6, Kf5, Kd5, Kd6. Compare what changes between Kc6 and Kd7.
Boundary cases
The main mistake to avoid with Stalemate in Endgames is applying a remembered endgame rule while ignoring side to move, king placement or an unverified result. In A, the missing condition must be located in r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3k4 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:4K3 after Kc6; in B, test it against r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:4k3 | r4:8 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:5K2 after Kd7.
For Stalemate in Endgames, the first board's evidence boundary (after Kc6) is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. The second board's evidence boundary for Stalemate in Endgames is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. If a trusted source or careful calculation changes the conclusion around the bishop's color complex, update both the evidence record and this article.
Practice from a real game
play the position for both sides, record the critical tempo, and verify the exact FEN against the cited tablebase before publication. Start with A's side to move and r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3k4 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:4K3; record two candidates, the reply to Kc6 and the correction. Repeat with B's side to move and r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:4k3 | r4:8 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:5K2; the changed board tests transfer rather than diagram memory.
After the drill, compare your notes with Fortress In Queen Endings, Theoretical Draws In Chess, Wrong Bishop And Rook Pawn through the king's route around a pawn chain. Keep A's rejected alternative beside B's chosen line Kd7; this shows whether the conclusion survived a new board signature.
Sources and scope
Sources for Stalemate in Endgames: Syzygy tablebase verification reference, 1chess.online editorial scope. Source ids are tablebase, original-analysis. Primary evidence hook: tablebase. Comparisons and practice notes are editorial. Evidence revision: 2026-08-remediation-r2.
Scope note for board pair r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:8 | r4:3k4 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:4K3 / r1:8 | r2:8 | r3:4k3 | r4:8 | r5:3P4 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:5K2: this page does not claim that Kc6 is an engine principal variation, that an exact endgame result is verified when the evidence says it is not, or that a tool output replaces human calculation. The conclusion is limited to the recorded boundary and the exception king opposition on the critical file.